What's it all about?

This blog is intended as a sort of diary, to record my success and frustrations along with daily events, such as might be of interest.

It's difficult to know what, in my average life, could be of interest to anyone out there, but apparently people are interested in such things (I think they are the nosey ones!) but not you, of course!

So, where to begin. At the beginning is usually a good point, but I ain't about to write down 65 years of events all at one go, so I'll begin somewhere along the line.

For many many years, I have had a hankering to write, not just any old stuff, but something special, something with a purpose. I have had one or two items published in magazines, but that was a long time ago.

I have written quite a few short stories from my childhood and later years, and from the remarks I have had, they are very interesting, so much so that I was told forcefully that I must remove them from semi-public display where I had them, and to knock them into shape for publication.

I intend to do that, but, at the moment, I am preoccupied.

The old brain and quill are occupied in writing a novel - there, I have admitted it. So I'm committed, and cannot back out now!

I have had this idea for a story for some years and it has been rolling around in those empty spaces recently vacated by the brain, and in rolling around, it gathered other companions around it - other ideas!

So, here I am, busy knocking a novel together. I purchased a hints and tips book recently and
have found it most interesting. For many people, it isn't the actual putting down of words, of ideas, that is the problem, it's the "how" they go down, the nuts and bolts of making it interesting.

Then there is the problem of putting it all down in the form which will make the opus acceptable to the reader. But, before it gets to the reader, it has to go to a publisher, and that, as the saying goes, is a whole new ball game.

First, it has to be written. One of the tips in this book to which I referred, is to "get them words down - any words, but get them down" and sort them out later. Obviously, it is best if the words that go down are useful, in the proper order and sequence, and relate to the story from the start.

I am one who likes to get it right first time, for I am no good at reviewing and editing my own work - I find when I do this, I end up with a totally different thing, but then, I suppose I am no different from others in the same boat. However, it is something that I must learn. The word count is slowly rising, as I plod on, trying to push the plot forward.

As I write, I am conscious that what I have now is only the skeleton, there is much more to do. I have a great deal of embroidery to do, painting if you like, adding colour and description - plus deleting superfluous wordery. With this, I am told, I have to be ruthless - but I have no ruth anyway!

I am conscious that every every single phrase, every single word even, has to earn its corn, has to have its place, its use. It has to work for its living.

In the next entry, I will cover how I started, and more.